Insulated container



United States freeze Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 2, 1960, Ser. No. 6,326 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-9) My invention relates to improvements in insulated containers and has for one object toprovide a portable insulated storage and shipper container which will hold and protect for long periods of time such perishable materials as foodstuffs which have been cooled to temperatures far below zero degrees F.

Another object is to provide an insulated container which is liquid tight and retains its liquid tightness under wide ranges of temperature variation between ambient temperatures down to and below -320 degrees F.

Another object is to provide a container which will, without leaking, hold cold boiling liquids at atmospheric pressure such as liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen and other liquids which boil at temperatures far below zero degrees F.

Another object is to provide a container for the storage and shipment at atmospheric pressure of such cold boiling liquids as nitrogen, oxygen, methane and the like.

Another object is to provide a container which may be filled with edible material and which will make it possible to pour into the container such cold boiling liquids as liquid nitrogen at atmospheric pressure without escape of liquid, without leakage of the container under the wide thermal changes resulting from such treatment.

l propose a self-contained, self-supporting insulating shell, any suitable insulation being used. The shell may take the form of a portable box, a vehicle body, an airplane fuselage, or the hold of a marine vessel. The shell has as its main purpose to insulate and support the contents. The shell is provided with a liq-uid impervious liner, which may be of aluminum or other metal which will retain its structural strength and liquid impervious characteristic through -a wide range of temperature variation between ambient and 320 degrees F. or below. The liner might take the form of a separate nonmetallic bag or Structure, and may be of plastic or of fabric coated with plastic or of plastic with a fabric core. The main requirement is that under the wide range of temperature -variations above referred to, the liner maintain without appreciable deterioration its flexibility and its liquid tightness.

The liner must at all times remain liquid tight and to protect it against physical abrasion or piuncturing by solid materials contained therein, I propo-se to equip it with suitable internal shielding means which will prevent direct contact between the liner and the load. Wood or other material which does not deteriorate or lose strength under the temperature changes above referred to is a suitable material for such shield.

Since wide changes in temperature resulting from loading and unloading of the container set up thermal stresses in the insulation, the insulation may crack but so long as the liner retains its liquid tightness, cracking of the insulation will do no appreciable damage.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 770,687, filed October 30, 1958.

My invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing-s, wherein- The drawing shows a diagramma-tic vertical section through one form of container.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

Merli ice My container includes a bottom wall 1, side walls 2 and a centrally apertured top wall 3. insulating slabs 4 line lthe bottom and side walls. Insulating bodies 6 line the top wall. A plastic liquid tight, flexible liner bag 7 is loosely suspended within and generally conforms to the contour of the chamber fdene'd by insulating slabs and bodies. The bag is apertured at the top. Flexible, extensible, non-heat conducting supporting strips 9 are anchored at their upper ends on the top Wall 3 and at their lower ends on the bag immediately above the sides thereof. Contained within the liner bag 7 is a shield or cage 10 which also conforms generally to the contour of the chamber defined by the insulation and is centrally apertured. Scuf pads 11 inside and outside of the lining hold the lining bag out of contact with the insulation and with the cage. Insulation, pads and cage are independently supported in the container. There are none of them fastened together so they are free to expand and contract separately, independent of one another in response to thermal change. The pads 11 may be made of felt or any other suitable material which retains its strength under thermal change. The cage 10 may be made of wood or any other suitable material which does not lose its strength in .the presence of excessive cold.

A exible non-conductive collar 12 conforms in general contour and dimensions to the openings in the bag 7 and the cage 10 and extends down .from` the wall 3 to interlock with the bag and cage'. This collar 12 may be riveted or cemented as the case may be to the wall 3. It is not otherwise supported. It does not support the bag or the cage and they are free to move independent of it, limited in their movement only by the dimension of the chamber defined by the insulation slabs and bodies. 'I'he container is supported on skids 13.

The bag 7 apertured as it is, encircles the neck of the cage 10 and theI bag and cage both encircle the collar 12. The purpose of the col-lar 12 is to mask the insulation at the top of the chamber in the area where the insulating bag and the cage are out of contact with, though in register with the aperture in the top.

The liner is preferably of some iiexible material which remains liquid tight under the thermal changes above referred to. It may take the -form of a plastic elastomeric bag. lt may take the form of a fabric bag coated with a plastic. A plastic which meets the requirement that it remains liquid tight under thermal change Imay, for example, be Teflon.

The cage, the liner and the insulation are free to expand and contract independent of one another. The cage or basket prevents contact between solids contained within the chamber and the liquid tight liner. The liner itself is held between and out of contact with the insulation and the liner by pads 11 on opposite sides of the lining. These pads may be attached to the liner and free tol move on cage and insulation or may be attached to the insulation and cage and free to move with respect to the lining. The pads may be made of felt or any other suitable rnaterial which will retain its strength under the thermal changes involved.

I claim:

An insulated receptacle including an outer relatively rigid, self-supporting housing, a liquid tight llexible plastic liner bag loosely contained therein, a self-supporting insulating body including a plurality of independent selfsupporting insulating slabs contained loosely in the housing and loosely surrounding the plastic liner, the insulation and the liner being free to change in size, shape and position independent of one another in response to temperature change,

a rigid fluid tight inner lining loosely surrounded by the liner bag,

bag between it and the insulation body and the inner liner.

'References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Comstock Jan. 21, 1873 Place Aug. 26, 1902 4 Frary July 3, Rivera Nov. 6, Lipman Apr. 13, Arkoosh Mar. 3, Cardona Oct. 15, Morrison Jan. 24,v Lagerwey Jan. 31, Morrison Aug. 1, 

